V: The Fifth Column returns!

In Tuesday’s episode of “V” we begin getting into the nitty-gritty of the storyline. Erica and Jack, who is having a serious crisis of faith, are trying to find other survivors of the resistance meeting. Ryan tells Georgie that the leader of the Fifth Column (the V rebels — remember them!) is still alive, as are other members in hiding. Meanwhile, Tyler is still a horndog drooling over Lisa.

The U.S. decides to let 100 Vs roam the streets and grants them visas. I paused on the closeup of Anna’s visa and had a giggle. She has no last name (is that even allowed, or was it negotiated?), her nationality was listed as “V” with her address given as “New York Mothership.”

Ryan’s meeting with his Fifth Column buddy Cyrus did not go so well. For some reason, Cyrus wanted back in V society and was turning in his rebel friends in exchange. Of course, Ryan manages to escape.

Erica is called in to work because threats have been made against Peace Ambassador HQ. It doesn’t take her long to find the holes in V security (and notice someone going into a room with much more advanced surveillance equipment than she was shown by her V handler). She quickly spots the gunman and takes him down, drawing the respect of the Vs, especially Marcus. For some reason, the Vs insist on taking the gunman rather than letting the FBI handle him. Hmmm…more evidence that Erica’s boss is a lizard?

Erica’s partner Dale wakes up in the V infirmary, but doesn’t remember anything from the night of the resistance meeting. Marcus wants to know who “killed” Dale because that person knows he is a lizard. Dr. Joshua sets up a virtual FBI office to see if that may trigger Dale’s memories. He goes on and on about how disgusting it was to live among humans and then suddenly remembers it was Erica who killed him. Joshua says thanks, she’ll make a great ally. Before Dale knows it, he’s dead or comatose or whatever — courtesy of the Fifth Column. I was kind of hoping Joshua was a good lizard; he’s easy on the eyes (and the actor is another Canadian, BTW).

Remember that fighter jet pilot we saw crash in the, um, Pilot? Well, his wife is no V-lover and she’s on a hunger strike. Anna knows that kind of resistance can spread fast and wants all the info she can get on the young widow. She sets up a meeting (the scenes of Anna rehearsing her sympathy — down to the tears — were chilling), and whatever she does works. The widow Faulkner is now a V friend. Is Anna truly that effective, or did she work some of that V conversion magic that 80s Diana loved so much? Or might this Mrs. Faulkner be a lizard double? All I know is that it does not pass the smell test. More evidence of Anna’s evil core — remember the gunman from earlier, turns out he’s a V and Anna thanks him for a job well done. Booooo!

Lisa and Tyler are set up by his friend Brandon. He takes her home, but they don’t get too far before “Mom’s Home!” Only the kid of an FBI agent would think it is better for his mother to think he’s doing the horizontal tango than joined up with the Peace Ambassadors. Lisa plays along by stripping out of her uniform. The true shocker of the night — SPOILER ALERT — when Lisa returns to the mothership, she goes to tell Anna that “Tyler is the one” (I’m assuming to be the appointed father of her hybrid child). Anna is so proud of her, to which Lisa responds: Thanks, Mom!

Whaaaat? That one I did not see coming.

Have to pass along: Each episode of the 1984 series begins with a faux resistance news cast updating us on what is going on in various parts of the country. The newscast for the episode “The Overlord” features rebellion in the Rio Grande Valley. Also, a bunch of rebels holed up in the Alamo, even — get this! — blowing it up with themselves inside so the lizards wouldn’t get their hands on it. Yikes!